The Center for Community Transformation (CCT) LaunchPad entrepreneurship program is expanding beyond California’s Central Valley, bringing practical business training to entrepreneurs and communities across the country. Developed by CCT at Fresno Pacific University, LaunchPad has impacted nearly 300 entrepreneurs in the Central Valley. Now, six partner organizations around the country are preparing to bring LaunchPad to their own communities.
The first LaunchPad Summit brought these partners together at Fresno Pacific University in Fresno, California, to learn the curriculum, share ideas, and explore how the program can support entrepreneurs in different local contexts. For CCT, the summit marks an exciting milestone in making entrepreneurship education more accessible. For the partner organizations, it represents an opportunity to equip people with the skills and resources to turn business ideas into reality.
LaunchPad Expands Nationally Through Six Community Partners
CCT spent three years developing the LaunchPad curriculum. The national expansion creates an opportunity to share that work with organizations serving entrepreneurs in communities beyond the Central Valley. At the summit, representatives came together from cities including Detroit, Michigan; Rochester, Minnesota; Pasadena, California; Nashville, Tennessee; Lexington, Kentucky; and Memphis, Tennessee.
The partners are preparing to bring LaunchPad into their own organizational settings, helping entrepreneurs access tools and resources to develop their businesses.
For Bryan Feil, Associate Director at CCT, the expansion is about extending the impact of a program that has already served entrepreneurs in the Central Valley.
“… This curriculum [ is really going to] open up more opportunities for business leaders and entrepreneurs who maybe haven’t got traditional business school training to really have the tools that they need to feel confident and successful in their venture.”
By working with local organizations, LaunchPad has the potential to reach entrepreneurs who might not otherwise have access to formal business education.
What Is the LaunchPad Entrepreneurship Program?
LaunchPad is a seven-week business course designed for entrepreneurs at different stages of their journeys. Participants may arrive with an early business idea or several years of experience running a business. The curriculum covers foundational business concepts, including defining a business’s message, developing sales strategies, creating a budget, and understanding how to grow a sustainable venture.
Vera Montanez, the Entrepreneurship Administrative Assistant at CCT, described the purpose of the curriculum as a way to “[teach entrepreneurs] the reasons why you’re in business. It’s going to teach you your business plan. It’s going to give you all the basic foundations and core concepts to have a business, to sustain a business and to be successful in your business.”
The program is designed to give entrepreneurs a foundation they can build on as they navigate the decisions and challenges of business ownership.
Chris Kraiss, chief information officer at William Carey International University in Pasadena, California, attended the summit as a representative of his organization. Kraiss also has experience starting his own information technology services company.
He described LaunchPad this way:
“I would say that LaunchPad is step zero of an entrepreneurial journey. The very first introductory step [is] ‘how are we gonna do this’, and ‘how are we gonna do this right out of the gate,’ so that we have success at steps one through 999,000, because that’s what it takes to get the job done.”
Kraiss also reflected on the value of having a structured curriculum and support from someone with business experience:
“And having not only that curriculum to kind of guide you step by step, that mentor to then come along and kind of fill in all the gaps is brilliant. It’s a one-two punch that every entrepreneur absolutely needs.”
Together, these perspectives highlight the program’s focus on practical foundations, guidance, and preparation for the work of building a business.
| “I think this is the beginning of something special.” Dr. Torianto S. Johnson, Sr. Executive Director, Next Chapter Reentry Project · Rochester, Minnesota |
| “Launchpad is the curriculum for an entrepreneur just starting off, or just trying to make a dream a reality.” Justin Johannon, Detroit Leadership Foundation · Detroit, Michigan |
| “And I’m excited to see 20, 30 years from now what’s happening here, because I think it’s gonna be beyond what we’re even imagining.” Chris Kraiss Chief Information Officer, William Carey International University · Pasadena, California |
Interested in LaunchPad?
Explore the LaunchPad program to learn more about the entrepreneurship course and how CCT is helping business owners build the foundations for sustainable growth.
